Combined cane and crutch



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B. A. G RIMBA LL COMBINED CANE AND CRUTCH Filed oct. 1949 F lc. Z,

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Xl l/llf/ I///'/// I7 27 23 2| I6 ZO 22 Lf 26 Y INVENToR. B A. Gam BA L L ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CMBINED CANE AND CRUTCH Burmain A. Grimball, Charleston, S. C.

Application October 27, 1949, Serial No. 123,944

(Cl. 13S-50) l Claim. l

My invention relates to a combined cane and crutch.

An important object of my invention is to provide a combined cane and crutch which may be constructed from aluminum tubing, or the like, whereby the device will be extremely strong, yet light in weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crutch which is readily adjustable through a wide range of heights.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined cane and crutch which. is highlysimplified, compact, neat and attractive in appearance, and relatively inexpensive to` manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. v

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combined cane and crutch embodying my invention, and illustrating the use of the same as a crutch,

Figure 2 is a side-elevation of the device with the parts arranged for use as a cane,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical section through the device shown in Figure 2, and,

Figure 4 is a similar section through the lower end of the device as shown in Figure 2.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral I designates an outer straight cylindrical tubular shank or body portion, open at its top and bottom ends. Near its bottom end, the tubular shank It! is provided with a single transverse opening I i, receiving a transverse bolt I2, which also extends through any selected one of a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse openings I3, formed in a short straight tube section or sleeve lli, telescopically mounted within the lower end cf the tubular shank It, Figure 4. The short tube section at the bottom of the shank I!) may be adjusted longitudinally, by engaging the bolt i2 in different openings I3. At its bottom end, the tube section I4 is provided with a removable rubber foot I5, or anti-slip device, as shown.

Near and below its top end, the tubular shank Iii has a transverse relatively short tubular extension or handle I t, rigidly secured thereto, and preferably integral therewith. This handle I6 is cylindrical and open at its outer end, and

the bore of the handle leads into the bore of the tubular shank I0. Adjacent to the handle I6, the shank I0 is provided in its side remote from the handle with a single locking aperture Il, in axial alignment with the central longitudinal axis of the handle, which is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tubular shank III. The handle I6 is internally screw threaded at its outer end, as shown at I8, for the reception of a screw threaded plug I 9, xedly mounted therein and having a central axial bore 20 in alignment with the Alocking aperture I1. A straight transverse locking pin 2|, for a purpose to be described is longitudinally slidably mounted Within the bore 2U and is adapted to have its inner end project through the aperture Il, Figure 3 when the locking pin is in the inner most. or locking position. The locking pin 2| has an outer knob or disc 22 rigidly secured thereto adjacent to the outer end of the handle I6, and adapted to abut the outer end of the handle when the locking pin is in the inner position. The knob or disc 22 has its marginal edge projecting radially beyond the periphery of the tubular handle I6. An expansible coil spring 23 is mounted within the tubular handle I6 and surrounds the pin 2|. The outer end of this spring engages the plug I9 and its inner end engages a Washer 24, secured to the pin 2l for longitudinal movement therewith. The spring thus serves to bias the pin 2| toward its innermost locking position, and yields when the knob or disc 22 is pulled outwardly so that the pin 2| may be retracted from the tubular shank I0.

Mounted within the top end of the tubular shank I0 is an inner cylindrical straight tube or crutch staff 25, which when lowered extends within the tubular shank I0 for the major portion of its length, Figure 2. This crutch staff 25 is provided near and above its bottom end with a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse adjusting apertures 26, and the uppermost aperture 26 is preferably located near the longitudinal center of the crutch staff 25, so that the staff may be adjusted longitudinally a substantial distance. The crutch staff 25 is freely slidable within the tubular shank I0 and any of the openings 26 are adapted to register with the aperture Il and receive the locking pin 2l, so 'that the crutch stair may be locked in the selected adjusted position. Near and slightly below its top end, the crutch staff 25 has a single transverse opening 21,also adapted to receive the locking pin 2|, for holding the crutch staff in its lowermost position, Figure 2.

When in the lowermost position, the top of the crutch staff 25 projects slightly above the top of the tubular shank l0, Figure 3, and is externally screw threaded as shown at 28, for the reception of a short depending tubular internally screw threaded extension 29 of a slightly longitudinally curved transverse tubular arm piece 30, preferably formed integral with the extension 29. Set screws 3l may be provided for locking the arm piece 3l) in position upon the top end of the crutch staff. When the crutch 'stai is lowered, Figure 2, and the locking pin 2| is in the openings l1 and 21, the bottom of the extension 29 abuts the top end of the tubular shank l0, as shown. The cross piece 30 extends parallel to the handle I6.

In use, the bottom tube section I4 is adjusted to position the handle l5 at the correct and comfortable height for a given person. With the crutch Staff" 25 lowered, Figure 2, the handle I6 may be grasped and the device will serve the same purposes as any conventional cane. When it is desired to use the device as a crutch, the locking pin 2l is retracted and the crutch staff is extended to the desired length, Figure 1, the pin 2| being reinserted in the selected opening 26 which has been brought into registration with the locking aperture Il.

If desired, when the device is used as a cane,

`the crutch staif 25 may be removed entirely.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown as described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A combined cane and crutch comprising an elongated tubular shank, a transverse tubular handle secured to the tubular shank near the 4 top end of the shank and extending beyond one side of the tubular shank, the tubular shank having a transverse locking aperture adjacent to the transverse tubular handle, an elongated crutch stair telescopcally mounted within the tubular shank and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse openings for registration with the locking aperture, a cross piece secured to the upper end of the crutch staff, a longitudinally shiftable transverse locking pin mounted within the transverse tubular handle and extending entirely through the tubular handle, the inner end of the locking pin being adapted to enter the locking aperture and a selected one of the transverse openings of the crutch staff for releasably locking the crutch stan" in a selected adjusted position, a spring mounted within the tubular handle and connected with the locking pin and urging it longitudinally inwardly, and a knob secured to the outer end of the locking pin beyond the outer end of the tubular handle and having its marginal edge projecting beyond the periphery of the tubular handle so that the locking pin may be retracted by sliding the hand longitudinally along the tubular handle into engagement with the knob to pull 'the knob outwardly.

BURMAIN A. GRIMBALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 768,452 Hennessy Aug. 23, 1904 987,497 Shadell et al Mar. 21, 1911 2,241,481 Schroeder 1 May 13, 1941 

